Aaron Judge On Verge of Record $360M Deal With Yankees

Last season Aaron Judge bet on himself, turning down a $213.5 million offer from the New York Yankees.

The gamble paid off as the 30-year-old slugger agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal with the team, according to multiple reports.

• Judge hit an American League record 62 home runs and won the AL MVP award in 2022. 
• The Yankees increased their offer by about 70% in less than a year.

Besides the San Francisco Giants, the Yankees reportedly had to fend off a last-minute bid from the San Diego Padres.

Judge’s yearly salary of $40 million shatters the MLB record for the highest average annual contract value for a position player, previously held by Mike Trout’s $35.5 million.

MLB’s Weight Problem

Prior to the 2022 All-Star Game, commissioner Rob Manfred admitted that the league had used two baseballs the previous year — one reportedly with a center weight roughly two-and-a-half grams lighter than the other that would carry further.

According to a new report, MLB may have used three different balls last season, and the more batter-friendly balls were found to be used at key games and events.

• Postseason and World Series games
• The All-Star Game and Home Run Derby
• Regular-season games with special commemorative stamps on the outer leather

Two of the “juiced” balls were also obtained from a Yankees-Tigers game on June 5 — which raises the question: Could the ball have impacted Judge’s home run chase?